Ellis michael



' -E. MICHAEL.

Grain Winnower.

Patented Jan. 8, 1861.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS MICHAEL, OF LAIORTE, INDIANA, ASsIGNOR TI) ANDREW FREEAND JOHN W. FREE,

- OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

Specificationof Letters Patent No. 31,096, dated January 8, 1861.

To all whom "it may concern: Be it known that I, ELLIs Mioi-mnL, of Laporte, in the count-y of Laport-e and State of Indiana, have invented a new and- IIIIPIOVQCl Grain-Separator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, in which Figure l, is a side sectional view of my invention, taken in the line 00, 00, Fig. 3. Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line y, y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3,

' a plan or top view of the same with the hopper removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Toenable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to described it.

A, represents a box or case which may be constructed in much the usual way to receive and hold the working parts of the machine.

B, is a hopper which is placed on the upper part of the box orcase A, and provided with a slide a. In the box or case A and directly underneath the hopper B, a shoe C is placed. This shoe is suspended in the box or case by rods Z), Z), at its front part, one at each side, and by a hook c, at its back part, at the back end of the box or case there is a fan D from one end of the shaft (l, of which, a shake motion is given the shoe C, by an eccentric 6, connecting rod f, bell crank g, and shackle h, all of which are shown in Fig. 3. I

In the upper part of the shoe C, at its inner end there is an inclined apron E,

which has ribs or slats 2', attached to it, said ribs or slats diverging from their inner ends, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The inner ends of the ribs or slats 2', extend from a point directly underneath the discharge orifice of the hopper.

F, is a coarse screen which is placedin the upper part of theshoe C. This screen is slightly inclined, and its inner end, which is the most elevated, is in contact with the outer end of the apron E. In the shoe 0, and underneath the inner part of the screen F, there is a box G, the bottom of which is formed of two inclined parts as shown clearly in Fig. 2. This box G is closed at both its front and back ends, and is placed in the shoe in an inclined position parallel ing j made in its lower end, said opening being shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The screen G has parallel ribs or slats is, placed on it, the inner ends of which are in line or coincide with the outer ends of the ribs or slats 2', of the apron E. In the shoe C, directly in front of the box G, there is a chess board J. This board is provided with longitudinal and parallel ribs or slatsls attached to it at points in line with the ribs or slats 7c, of the screen G. Between the outer end of the box G, and the inner end of the chess-board J, there is a space Z.

In. the lower part of the shoe C, there is placed an inclined screen K, the inner end of which is the depressed or lower end, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. This screen has an inclined side-piece m, attached to each side of it, the form of which is shown clearly in Fig. 2. At the-outer end of the screen. K, at each side, there is a pin-12, projecting hori- Zontally, and these pins are fitted in notched plates 0, 0, one at each side of the shoe C. The inner and lower part of the screen K, rests on a bar L, which is placed in the inner part of the shoe G, and has its ends secured thereto by pivots a. To the under side of the bar L, near one end a hook g is attached, said hook being connected by a bar 1', to the box or case A as shown at s. In the bottom plate .or board 6, of the shoe 0, there are openings a, which are directly over a box M.see Fig. 1.

N is an inclined board which forms the bottom of the box or case A, directly back of the shoe, and o, is an opening at the lower end of said board, the opening extending the whole width of the box or case.

0, O, are partition or bluff-boards which serve to prevent the escape of wind from the fan at each side of the shoe, so that the fullforce of the blast generated by the space to, is thereby allowed to permit a passage of air directly over the box I, as indicated by the arrow 1, in Fig. 1.

The operation is as follows: The fanshaft (Z, is rotated by any convenient power, and the grain to be operated upon, is poured int-o the hopper B, and is allowed to pass on the apron E in greater or less quantities by regulating the slide (a. The apron E, conducts the grain to the screen F, and the ribs or slats z' of the apron, aided by the shake motion of the shoe, spread the grain so that it will extend over the screen F its whole width. The large foreign substances are separated from the grain by this screen F and pass off its outer and lower end. The grain, grass-seed and other small foreign substances pass of course through the screen F and fall in the fine screen G of the box G. The grain is kept in a spread state in screen G by means of its ribs or slats 7c, and the grass-seed passes through screen G into the box G and from thence through the tube H into the box I, all light foreign substances being expelled from it by the blast which passes over the box I, as indicated by the arrow 1. The sound grain passes down through the opening Z, and is subjected for the first time to a blast from the fan D. This blast throws the chess off the board J, while the sound grain passes down in the screen K and inclined board N and is discharged through the opening 01. Small impurities and light grain that may have casually passed over the screenG, will pass through screen K, and through the openings at, u, in the box M, and all light impurities such as dust, etc. will be effectually expelled by the blast. p

The red arrows, Fig. 1, indicate the direction of the sound grain through the machine. The blue arrows, Figs. 1 and 2 show the passage of the grass-seed and the black dotted arrows, show the direction of the light imperfect grain.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the grass-seed is separated from the grain before the latter is subjected to the blast, and the efiiciency of the latter will therefore be greatly enhanced, as themass of material to be acted upon by the blast is considerably reduced, besides the grass-seed will be separated in a more perfect manner. In consequence of having the ribs or slats i, 70, 76, attached to the upper surfaces of the apron E, screen G, and chess-board J, the grain is made to pass over said parts in a spread state or in a thin layer, so as to pass over the screens F, G in a manner to be most effectually operated upon, and the grain also presented in a spread state to the action of the blast. By having the inner part of screen K, rest on the bar L, and the latter hung on pivots 79, p, and connected to the box or case by the hook g, and rod 1', a vertical shake motion is given the screen K in addition to the shake motion it receives in common with the shoe C, and said screen is effectually prevented from choking or clogging. By having the outer part of the screen K, fitted in the shoe C, by means of the pins 41., fitting in notched plates 0, 0, a greater or less inclination as may be desired may be given the screen without changing the position of the shoe.

I would remark that when the grain contains grass seed, and the box Gr used, the chess-board J may be removed entirely from the shoe, and when the seed box is not required, it may be removed, and the chessboard J shoved back in the place occupied by the shoe.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The slats z, 7c, is, placed respectively on the apron E, screen G and chess board J, where said parts are arranged relatively with each other, the fan D, and the screen F, to operate as and for the purpos set forth.

ELLIS MICHAEL.

Witnesses:

JAMES FREDINBURG, MATTHEW A. -WILSON. 

